Gameplay Overview

K’ general game plan is to able to control the neutral with ein trigger and be able to harass the opponent in the corner.. With good jumping normals and an easy confirmable cr. B, he can dish out a lot of damage with easy confirms. K’ combos require a good level of execution to be able to maximize his max mode combos.

Normals

st. B: Whiffs on airborne opponents. Far reach, hitbox around foot, good for neutral poke/max mode confirm 8F startup. Short active frames/generous max mode activation time -4 on block. Not safe, but difficult to punish.

st. C: Hits hops. Whiffs against full jumps Very long reach. Hitbox around arm. Strong poke 10F startup. Long active frames/hitstun. Very slow. Use sparingly -4 on block. Not safe, but difficult to punish due to pushback.

st. D: Hits airborne/standing opponents. Whiffs on crouchers. Hitbox around the leg. Decent vertical and horizontal range. Good anti-air. 9F startup. Great hitstun for Max Mode. Slow poke or punisher. -2 on block.

Close

cl. A: An elbow attack that can anti air opponents really up close. Special cancellable.

cl. B: A shin kick. Special cancellable.

cl. C: 2-hit fierce normal that be used to hit confirm into max mode. Special cancellable.

cl. D: Special cancellable and hits as a low.

Crouching

cr. A: Special cancellable. Chain cancellable.

cr. B: Special cancellable and a great footsie tool. It is the go-to button for K’ combos. Chain cancellable.

cr. C: Anti air tool with a shabby vertical hitbox and a harmful hurtbox. Special cancellable.

cr. D: A long range sweep that is special cancellable.

Jumping

j. A: A short range air to air/air to ground normal.

j. B: A fast and reliable horizontal air to air normal.

j. C: A strong vertical jump-in tool to pressure opponents.

j. D Jack-of-all trades tool that be used as both an air to air tool as well as an air to ground tool. Not as fast as Benimaru’s j. D, but has an arcing hitbox.

Blowback

st. CD: A decent-ranged diagonal blowback move that causes a wallsplat on grounded opponents.

j. CD: A great jump-in tool used to pressure opponents. Has a downwards vertical hitbox.

Throws

Spotpile - (b/f+C) close

K' grabs and elbows his opponent into the ground for a hard knockdown allows for a safe jump and oki setup

Can be broken

Hard knockdown

Knee Strike - (b/f+D) close

K’ bounces his opponent off his knee. Can be tech rolled and doesn’t allow for a setup.

Can be broken

Soft knockdown

Command Moves

One Inch - (f+A)

K' one inch punches his opponent causing a hard knockdown. On hard knockdown, normals cause air reset but specials can be used to combo. Can be whiff cancelled into and can be comboed from cl C (no longer hard knockdown). Can be MaxMode and special cancelled allowing for ground combo air juggles.

Knee Assault - (f+B)

K’ jumps at his opponent with a high knee strike, hits overhead, can be whiff cancelled into and only combos into minute spike (Normal and EX, EX allows for light dp follow up). Can be comboed from all of his ground normals except Cr D.

Special Moves

Ein Trigger - (qcf + A/C)

The defining move of K’ gameplay and is used to control the neutral for its different follow-up properties of the qcf+A and qcf+C. Can also destroy projectiles up close. It has 9 frames of startup

EX: Faster startup and is plus on block. Good for meaty pressuring situations. 7 frames of startup and +3 on block. Also turns each follow-up property into EX versions.

Second Whip - (after Ein Trigger) - (f+A)

Used to defend against lingering projectiles if Ein trigger is not in range.

EX: Fast overhead that is safe on block.

Second Shoot - (after Ein Trigger) - (f+B)

qcf+A version: Slow projectile used to bait in and pressure opponents.

qcf+C version: Fast projectile.

EX: projectile starts slow and then picks up speed. Also will go through a regular projectile.

Second Knuckle - (after Ein Trigger) - (f+C)

A punch follow up. It is unsafe on block, but can be used well to move his position on the ground. Really good if the enemy would be landing a jump in and is already too close for the Anti Air follow up to hit.

EX: It is plus on block with push back. Can be used for combo extensions in the corner.

Second Shell - (after Ein Trigger) - (f+D)

qcf+A version: Juggles the opponent farther in the air and is mainly used for both meterless and metered combos. Can be used to anti air opponents once you bait in opponents.

qcf+C version: Does not juggle as much as the A version. Not really used much outside of acting as an anti air tool after baiting in opponents.

EX: Plus on block, and keeps you close if you’re in the corner. It also has greater range than the other versions of Second Shell. Launches very high to continue start combos.

Blackout - (after Ein Trigger) - (back+B/D)

A teleport dash after Ein Trigger. More info in its stand alone description below.

Blackout - (qcf + B/D)

qcf+B: Travels 1/2 of the screen. It has no invincibility frames, so it is overall risky move. Can be used to escape potential pressure.

qcf+D: Travels 3/4th’s of the screen. Likewise with qcf+B, it is an overall risky move. Can be used to escape potential pressure.

EX: Has invincibility frames upon startup, thus allowing you to move away easier.

Crow Bite - (dp + A/C)

dp+A version: Faster startup and can be used to anti air opponents. Super cancellable. 4 frames of startup. Has upper body invincibility.

dp+C version: Longer startup but has invincibility frames. Can be used as an anti air, but since it is slower, you will have to time the C crow bite to make sure you still get the kick follow up on anti air. 7 frames of startup.

EX: Faster startup, does more damage, and causes a hard knockdown, since it automatically does the Crow Bite Follow Up. Has invincibility frames like the dp+C version. 4 frames of startup.

Crow Bite (Follow Up) - after C Crow Bite, (f + B/D)

Causes a hard knockdown and facilitate as a small combo ender for dp+C.

Minute Spike - (qcb + B/D)

qcb+B: Does not travel farther than the qcb+D version. Unsafe on block. Avoids lows during the animation.

K dash slides in and is considered a low. It is sometimes used to catch opponents by surprise after the Minute Spike. Often used in combos.

EX: recovers fast enough to get a regular ein trigger for a combo. For regular version, you must hit it on the last active frames to do more than A version Crow Bite

Air Minute Spike - (qcb +B/D) (in the air)

Has faster recovery than grounded minute spike, but you do not get a follow up. Can be used for Air to Air since it has a good hit box and it is very fast. Also used as a tool against Nakoruru’s bird cling

EX: Even faster recovery than the regular one, and leaves enough hit stun for combos. A lot of optimal combos will involve one or 2 of the ex versions

Super Special Moves

Heat Drive - (qcf, qcf + A/C)

K’ easiest super cancellable moves that causes a hard knockdown used to setup for okis. This move allows you to delay the move to see if your opponent is willing to take a risky action. It does more damage the longer it is charged. However, it is always unsafe on block as it has long recovery frames. This move is often used in combos. Both versions also travel full screen.

Max: Does more damage. It also does more damage the longer it is charged and is still unsafe on block as it has long recovery frames.

Chain Drive - (qcf~hcb + A/C)

K’ arcing projectile rush super that destroys any non super projectiles. This move is sometimes used in combos. However, it has long startup so it cannot reliably punish zoning opponents.

Max:

Climax Super Special Moves

Hyper Chain Drive - (hcb, hcb + A+C)

Can be used to anti air opponents and is used as a combo ender. Causes a hard knockdown.

2 meters

3 meters

4 meters

(place combo here) = (place damage amount here)

(place combo description here)

5 meters

(place combo here) = (place damage amount here)

(place combo description here)

Misc

Cr. B, cr. B, cr. D is a good blockstring and is crucial for K’ offense.K’ can get three cr. B’s, but is dependent on spacing and how fast you press cr. B. It still allows you to do meterless combos without much restriction. It does cause more pushback however.
For a visual aid of the K’ guide, check Coliflowerz guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95NATJsoB28

When confirming into max mode, it is best to activate off of cr.B and do cr.C after the activation.

Example: cr.B, cr.B, BC, cr.C

The reason why is because cr.C is a pretty far range 7 frame normal that will come out regardless of range and it is special cancelable. cl.C can be used because it is 5 frames and special cancelable, but the issue is going to be that if you are farther away, far C will come out and the combo ends. Cl.D has slightly more range, but it is also a frame slower, and if far D comes out, you are in a worse position than far C since far D whiffs on crouchers.